Homosexual Marriage and the Church of Scotland (1)
The Presbyteries of the Church of Scotland have voted 29 to 12 in favour of the “Solemnisation of Same Sex Marriage Overture”, which would allow Church of Scotland ministers and deacons to apply to become “authorised celebrants” for homosexual marriages (so called). The General Assembly (forthcoming at the time of writing) is due to vote on this overture.
A report to the Assembly is said to make it clear “that no person would be required to participate in the solemnisation of, or be involved in the arrangements for, a same-sex marriage unless they explicitly wished to do so”. Only a parish minister who became a celebrant would be permitted the use of a church building in the charge for the solemnisation of homosexual marriages, but consent could also be granted to other celebrants to use the buildings for that purpose.
As everyone knows, however, these limitations would only be of a temporary nature, until the pro-sodomite party felt strong enough to abolish them. The whole tendency of the sodomite movement, as Genesis 19:9 shows, is to demand that everyone endorse their sin. They can never rest until this is accomplished. And so they can never rest, because the Word of God is as a thorn ever pricking their conscience: “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination” (Lev 20:13). DWBS
Homosexual Marriage and the Church of Scotland (2)
Members of the 2021 Church of Scotland General Assembly voted to allow presbyteries to express their views on draft legislation regarding the celebration of same-sex marriages. Ministers and deacons will have to apply to become a celebrant and the Church will make the application on their behalf to the Registrar General for Scotland.
Rev Shuna Dicks, from the Presbytery of Aberdeen and Shetland, voted in favour and said, “Personally, this is something I feel has been a long time coming and we’ve maybe waited too long, to be honest. But I’m just delighted that I will be able to apply to become an official celebrant for same-sex marriages. There will be people from the LGBT community who will rejoice because finally the church that they belong to will be able to celebrate their love that they have found in each other in a Christian ceremony and that, I think, is good news.”
Rev Mike Goss, from Angus, who voted against this “permissive” approach, believes that the divisions will continue and impact on other areas of church life. He said, “There’s still a continued struggle within the Church of Scotland. The group of folk who are called “traditionalist”, folk who stand for the Bible, we’re not going away. We are still there.”
It is a sad day for the Church of Scotland when there are office-bearers within it who are going headlong in the direction of Sodom in direct opposition to the Bible, and who regard those who believe it to be the Word of God, “traditionalists” and behind the times. One would think that the two groupings within the Church of Scotland cannot be reconciled; that those who believe the Word of God will not be able to tolerate a laissez-faire, live-and-let-live, worldly attitude to God’s law and His worship.
People like to speak of inclusivity, but when that embraces unscriptural and God-dishonouring church legislation, no blessing can be expected. God is not mocked. FRD